A Canadian Deer Is Mysteriously Wandering Around in a Bright Yellow High-Vis Safety Jacket

There’s a deer in the small village of McBride Canada that is wandering the snowy forests in a bright yellow high-vis jacket. The deer is now a sensation in the town, which has a population of less than 1,000 people, and authorities are trying to track the creature down to make sure it’s OK.

When local reporter Andrea Arnold drove home a few nights ago, she expected she’d see deer. In rural communities across the Americas, they’re a common sight. She did not imagine it would be so easy to spot them.

“Deer crossing the highway do not make news. But this one was sporting the latest in high-visibility workwear. A black and yellow long-sleeved top. I couldn’t tell if it was a jacket, sweatshirt or a long sleeve t-shirt,” Arnold wrote in a piece about the deer for The Rocky Mountain Goat.

She went home and posted a picture of the deer on Facebook only to discover her neighbors were already well aware of the high-vis sporting creature. The joy of the strange sighting bubbled up and even made it to TV news.

McBride joked about the deer, but they also worried. This jacket would make it easier for predators to see. What if it got caught on something and couldn’t free itself? “Conservation Officers have been made aware of the situation,” Arnold wrote. “Sgt. Eamon McArthur says that although the animal is currently mobile and able to feed, there are concerns that if the jacket is secured onto the deer that it may get caught in the woods, panic and cause itself injury. He says there is a chance that it may tear and fall off, but knowing that most high-vis clothing is made of sturdy material, he thinks that is unlikely.”

High-vis vests are typical among human hunters and people who work dangerous jobs like construction. They make it easier to spot a person or a body. No one is sure how the deer came to be wearing the vest. They’re skittish creatures and it’s hard to imagine a human getting close enough to dress up a deer. But stranger things have happened.

According to Arnold, the current plan is for Conservation officers to locate the deer while it’s feeding and hit it with a tranquilizer dart. Once sedated, they’ll cut the coat off the poor creature.

Reading this, I was struck by the vast cultural differences between the U.S. and Canada. I live in South Carolina where deer hunting is routine. Deer frequently dart across the highway in front of my car, typically at night, and I’ve hit some on occasion. I’ve also had deer wander through my yard, eating flowers. They’re beautiful animals but I think of them as tall rats.

I’m glad the high-viz deer was born in Canada.